Dried lily flower, dried lily buds also known as "golden needle" is a lovely Chinese dried ingredients. It is named directly after its color yellow. We call it "黄花". Both fresh dried lily flower and dried lily flower are used in Chinese dishes. Fresh dried lily flower is usually blanched firstly and then used in soups and stir fries. However fresh lily flower only has a very short period, usually in early summer.

Dried lily flower can kept for hong time and it can is more popular in dishes. There are several popular dishes call for dried lily flower like moo shu pork. The dried yellow flower can give steamed dish a lovely texture too.

What does lily flower taste like?

Compared to fresh lily flower, dried lily flower has a lighter aroma but crunchier texture. Dried lily flower tastes like dried bamboo texture with a lovely flower flavor.

How to prepare dried lily flower?

Rinse dried lily flower for a while.
Soak in warm water for 1 hour. After that lily buds become super soft. The water will have a lovely light yellow color and a faint aroma. You can save the liquid for soups or stewed dishes.

Cut off the hard ends and finish the preparation.